Resurrection!

Once a year many Christians all over the world pause in order to commemorate Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. The early Christians also celebrated during this time calling their festival Pascha (from the Hebrew Passover). The Passover was a reminder of God’s liberation of His people from bondage to freedom through a series of miraculous events (plagues) that showed His absolute power over any of the idol gods that humans can devise. The final act was memorialized by the sacrifice of the Passover lamb, painting its life-blood on the doorframes of their houses, and feasting on the meat while eating bitter herbs and unleavened bread. That night, the angel of death saw the blood and “passed over” that house sparing all inside.

The prophetic lesson of this ritual meal was fulfilled in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross: He was our Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7; 1 Peter 1:19), His blood is applied to our hearts at baptism (Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:26-27), now when the death angel appears he will “pass over” those who belong to Him (Rev. 7:1-3) and they will live with Him forever. Jesus fulfilled all of this imagery perfectly by willingly going to the cross and paying our debt of sin, and (the most important part of the event) raising from the dead three days later as prophesied and as He promised.

So all throughout the church age, resurrection has been the central element of the faith. In fact, without resurrection Christianity has no meaning, no basis, no significance (1 Corinthians 15:12-18). God’s work of redemption is founded upon Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. It was the means by which God proved His victory over sin. And our hope of resurrection to new life, eternal life with God, is now guaranteed to all of those who through baptism have died to sin, been buried with Christ and raised to new life. As Paul says, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead was “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Resurrection for those clothed with Christ, then, is a certainty (Romans 6:5; 8:11).

In our fellowship, the resurrection of Christ is so fundamental to our faith, thinking, behavior, and practice that each week we commemorate this great event by eating the Lord’s Supper together. Jesus established this meal on the night He was betrayed to be a constant reminder and proclamation of His sacrifice and resurrection. We partake of it in order to identify with His life of holiness (what the bread symbolizes) and with His total commitment to God’s will (what the wine represents). And we eat it together to proclaim our unity in His body, the church. This is also the basis for the Great Commission that Jesus assigned for His disciples to engage in: He wants to provide resurrection to as many souls as He possibly can.

So in this season of resurrection, consider these few things;

1. Are you prepared to experience the ultimate blessed event (Php. 3:10)? If not, put on Christ now in baptism so you can be guaranteed of resurrection to new life (Eph. 1:13-14).

2. Are you walking in the light with God’s Spirit (1 John 1:7-8)? If not, rid yourself of sin and its damaging effects and know God’s love and peace for all eternity.

3. Are you maturing your faith (2 Pet. 1:5-9)? If not, get back in touch with your Father who is longing to welcome you home where you really belong.

4. Are you a beacon of light for those seeking a return to the Father (Matt. 5:14-16)? If not, consider those around you and their need to know and practice the truth.

Doug